It’s been a couple of days since the Olympic flame was extinguished here in Vancouver and the city is quietly getting back to normalcy.
I’m exhausted! I was out every single day enjoying the energy and excitement that was so evident throughout our city. I’m so proud that Vancouver and Canada represented in a way that no one saw coming. Here are a couple of cool links to stories from some international press that I think sums up how the world felt we did.
So to wrap up my 17 day experience here’s a short video.
I promise to be just as excited and proudly Canadian for the Paralympics and I look forward to watching those athletes excel and reach for Gold.
Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting
With the influx of tourists and locals alike into the DT core many long established restaurants made the decision to increase their prices along with adding auto-tipping onto the bill. Reason's for these practices have included increased staff and food costs and a tourist crowd not used to North American style tipping. Many traditional journalists have covered this story and you can click here to read one of them.
This post is not about the validity of the restaurant claims or even if it was right or wrong. What this post is about in essence is the power of social media and it's near immediate impact on a business or organization. How a business responds to it's customers and their feedback says a lot about them and the people using Social Media aren’t shy about making their views known.
One such chain is Earls. Locally grown here in BC, Earls has come under some major fire for it's pricing and auto-tipping policies. An example is a gentleman who had an unpleasant reaction to the price and tip increases immediately went onto Twitter to voice his thoughts. Within 10 minutes over 20 responses and conversational engagements occurred creating a slew of online heat for Earls. Click here to see some of the conversations if you use the search terms Earls and Tip. What some businesses don't understand is that each person engaged in a Twitter conversation potentially has at least 300 followers and upwards of 10,000 +. That is a very large reach.
Earls Restaurants gets it and has a person dedicated to following the conversation online and is responsible for taking the pulse of its customers good bad or indifferent. After much criticism here is the response from Earls about the price increases and tipping policies for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
Earls Yaletown will be hosting a special locals-only event on Sunday, February 28th. On Sunday morning, Earls Yaletown will be opening one hour early, at 9 am for a complimentary brunch for local patrons only.
From 9 am to 11 am, Earls Yaletown will only be open to locals with a BC Drivers License or other form of BC Identification. All locals will receive a free brunch, they will get a chance to ‘take their seat back’ and amidst all of the madness, they will be able to secure a table for the Olympic gold medal hockey game at 12:15 pm.
We would also like to share with you that as 9 am this Sunday, February 28th, all menu prices will have officially returned to normal, and automatic gratuities will be removed from ALL BILLS.
Earls Yaletown will not be taking reservations for the locals-only event on Sunday morning. The event will be on a first-come-first-serve basis, so get there early, get your free brunch and enjoy the last day of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games at Earls.
So you decide. Is this effort by Earls enough to win the locals back? Only time will tell. I’ve talked here about Earls but trust me they are not alone in creating a backlash of anger and disappointment from their local customers.
I would really love to hear your thoughts and trust me I will be sure to pass them on the the management team at Earls.
Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting
Well, that's what Canadian hockey fans are going to be asking themselves come Thursday morning.....if they watched and/or celebrated their Men's Team make history with a 7:3 victory over Team Russia. This is the first time in Olympic play in 50 years that Canada has won this match-up! Maybe the real question will be "Isn't this a headache?', but one thing is for sure - it will be Olympic in proportion, no matter what it is!
On the eve of the Canadian Women's Gold Medal game against the U.S. on Thursday, we have to pinch ourselves and think back to Salt Lake City, where both finals featured Canada vs the U.S.A., with Canada coming home with both Gold Medals.
Are we setting ourselves up for a repeat? Only time will tell. For now, we can celebrate a great effort by our Men, who worked so very hard tonight to take and hold the lead in a game where no one ever stopped. The Russian team did not go gently....it was a battle for every play.....and there was a lot of heart and pride at stake.
Raise a glass, sing Oh Canada! at the top of your lungs. Celebrate advancements, and be sure to cheer hard tomorrow.............tonight just feels like gold!
Marilyn Anderson is a Communications Specialist, Co-Founder of Duet Media, and possibly a closet hockey fan!
"Unique" is one of those words whose meaning has been devalued by overuse, mostly by over-the-top advertising, but there are still some truly unique experiences out there. We saw one today, when a BC native, Ashleigh McIvor, scored a unique triumph - the first ever Olympic Ski-Cross gold medal.
Another unique experience, and one I have had the pleasure and privilege of enjoying, involves getting down on your hands and knees and crawling underneath a piano - a concert grand, no less. So why, you ask, would you crawl under a piano?
In the words of Craig Addy, founder of Vancouver's one-of-a-kind Under the Piano, a business that bathes the listener in improvised piano music:
When you crawl under my grand piano and nestle amongst opulent quilts and cushions you are treated to about 40 minutes of piano improvisations. You are surrounded by the music and enveloped by the sound. Your entire body is bathed by sound vibrations. You get to enjoy your very own personal concert and a remarkably relaxing and healing experience.
Every word there is true - the sound vibrations envelop the listener and you emerge incredibly relaxed and feeling totally at peace.
Craig, a classically-trained pianist, has developed a business idea that he believes is the only one of its kind in the world. If you're in this wonderfully warm and welcoming city for the Olympics and are looking for a memento unlike any other, visit Under The Piano - you won't regret it.
Des Dougan is Principal of Dougan Consulting Group, which provides technology support services to small businesses in the Metro Vancouver area. Des can be contacted here and via @ddougan on Twitter.
On Thursday, an anxious crowd gathered at Caprice Nightclub, here in downtown Vancouver. Most of the people in attendance had two things in common: their devotion to the Canadian hockey team in the Olympics, and their enthusiasm about Twitter as a social network, for both business and social purposes. Shane Gibson has written a great post about that evening.
You see, here in Canada, winning in hockey is a question of national pride. I remember attending a World Cup of Hockey final in Montreal (my old hometown), and one sign summed it all-so-well: "we breed them, they buy them". No need to explain whom that sign was referring to! We Canadians may have a reputation of being polite and understated, but get us talking about hockey, and you're hitting the national ego. Tread lightly!
After the game itself, Twitter celebrity Guy Kawasaki arrived at the venue to meet some Vancouver tweeps in person. If you are active on Twitter, your number of followers expresses the number of other individuals who find your microblogging updates interesting enough to, well, follow what you have to say. At the time of this writing, Guy Kawasaki had an astounding 215,990 followers. Trust me when I say that this is a lot.
Guy Kawasaki, Mitch Baldwin and yours truly. Photo credit: Kemp Edmonds
If you missed the opportunity to meet some of Vancouver's finest social media participants on Thursday, fret not. Another gathering, smaller and more intimate, is taking place on February 25th. View the details and RSVP here.
Come and join us while you're in the 604 area code. Guy Kawasaki won't be there, but we promise to make you feel at home.
Guacira Naves is the founder of The Online Strategy House. She's an online marketing pioneer with 19 years of professional history with the Internet and 13 years of experience as an online marketing strategist. She serves on the board of the Social Media Club Vancouver. Follow her on Twitter (@OnlineStrategy) or find her at OnlineStrategy.ca
Taking a walk with a friend enjoying the beautiful Vancouver sunshine we stopped at the local UPS Store on Nelson & Cambie to mail off a package. We walked in to a sea of video cameras from two local TV stations and a large group of regular folk with cameras. What did we walk into? A scandal maybe at the UPS Store?
Even better, we walked into what turned out to be an impromptu media scrum for star Indian Olympic AthleteShiva Keshavan. Upon asking and following up with further research when I got home it turns out that Mr. Keshavan was the worlds youngest Luge entrant ever to participate in a Winter Olympics (Nagano 1998).
Shiva Keshavan being interviewed at UPS Store #209
Shiva Keshavan with his Fiance and the UPS Store team that supports him
The Manager of the UPS Store # 209Mr. Paramjit Teja, who is known to the Keshavan family as “Uncle”, was instrumental in arranging all the hospitality needs for the friends and family that travelled with India’s Winter Olympic Star. Part of the entourage was 6 “super fans” from Italy that have followed and supported Shiva in his Olympic Dream since his performance in Torino’s Games in 2006. the energy in the store was quite a buzz.
I was lucky enough to capture almost 6.5 minutes of the interview between Shiva and the reporter from Shaw TV. I apologize for the sound quality but this was too good an opportunity to pass up. So please watch and enjoy. I was 5 feet away from an Olympic athlete days after his competition. What a great experience!
After the interview Shiva was asked what his plans for the rest of his stay in Vancouver consisted of. He said " I have two other colleagues/friends from India that are here to compete and I will be at their side and in the stands cheering for them and giving them all the support and wisdom I can share from my 4 Olympic experiences". An answer was truly worthy of an Olympian.
Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting
February 17, 2010 | Posted by greysquare photographics
Probably one of the best things to do during the Winter Games 2010 is to just walk around downtown Vancouver. This evening, the first evening of men's hockey, I had the chance to do just that. It is incredible to feel the energy in the air and to hear the shouts of glory from every goal scored.
On this evening we started, a friend and I, from Waterfront Station and headed west. Go west, young man, go west. (Or, in my case, woman.) Our first destination was the Olympic cauldron. The first time I saw the cauldron in person was during the day on Saturday. I must admit that seeing it at dusk is probably the best time. It is magnificent. I am proud that Vancouver gets to keep this symbol because it is a beautiful piece of art and, coming from an art college graduate, that is saying something.
Cauldron by greysquare photographics
Of course a hop skip and jump from the cauldron is the floating Olympics rings in the harbour so we photographed that as well. Maybe not as magnificent as the cauldron but impressive non-the-less because of what it represents.
What I found really fascinating photographing in this area was the way people were trying to all get the 'good' angle yet were very nice about the whole thing; taking turns and helping people out by taking stranger's portraits. It is amazing what can bring the people of the world together.
I just had to take this next shot because in Vancouver all our cranes seem to get in the spirit of any occasion and the Olympics is quite the occasion to celebrate. I wonder if this happens in the rest of the world.
Celebration Crane by greysquare photographics
From here we headed on to Robson Street and found it had a 'few' people there. This is nothing unusual and I am enjoying having the street closed to traffic during the evening. I wonder who I have to talk with to lobby having this a regular thing on the weekends? I noticed the hot dog vendors are doing excellent business and I am happy that they are making good money with their wares. I know we all have our favourites and I am sad when ‘my’ vendor isn’t there.
Robson Street by greysquare photographics
At Robson Square we went down stairs, under the street, to see what was going on. There are performances happening there every night on two stages. We happened to catch the Richmond Academy of Dance and their tap dance performers.
What Robson Square is most popular for is the ice skating which is surprisingly very inexpensive. I think it is $3 for rentals! We had just missed the mascot skate which would have been fun to see. I have always wondered how anyone can skate in one of those costumes. It is quite a large rink and has excellent viewing potential if you want to bring the kiddies but not skate yourself.
Richmond Academy of Dance by greysquare photographics
The Usual Suspects by greysquare photographics
Ice Rink by greysquare photographics
Free Skate by greysquare photographics
Once we were done photographing at the rink I realized I had not yet spent the time to photograph the count down clock donated to Vancouver that is on the other side of the Art Gallery. So we headed over to Georgia and had a great time photographing there. The fountain is all back lit and made for some fun shots and the clock is now counting up from the opening ceremonies. I wonder if it will count down to the paralympic games then count up during those games as well.
By now we were chilly so we headed over to Blenz on Granville just north of Georgia. Mmmmmm, soy chai latté!
Olympic Clock on Georgia by greysquare photographics
Vancouver Art Gallery by greysquare photographics
Backlit by greysquare photographics
Pacific Centre Polar Bears by greysquare photographics
Once we were properly warmed we headed south on Granville to check out the lit art between Georgia and Robson. I am loving those lanterns! Every time I see them I feel joyful. They are so much fun and people love stomping around on the lantern tree base because it makes so much noise. The last time I was at the lanterns I remember it vividly because Alexandre Bilodeau won gold for Men’s Freestyle Skiing. The cheering in the streets was so exciting and filled the street with such energy that it was contagious. So, those lanterns are etched in my memory forever.
Lanterns by greysquare photographics
Odd Signage by greysquare photographics
Lanterns by greysquare photographics
Art by greysquare photographics
Lanterns by greysquare photographics
Lanterns by greysquare photographics
I had a great time tonight and I look forward to doing the walkabout this Saturday up at Whistler.
GO, Canada, GO!
Today I managed to make it downtown to try to get a sense of the Olympic experience. First impressions - loads of people, very many of whom were wearing Canada gear, lots of security, and lots of visitors, too.
Parking near Science World, my son and I took the Skytrain to Granville and then bused down Richards to Davie St, where we stopped in the Granville and Davie Blenz. I set up my laptop and started streaming the snowboard cross event from Cypress while I ate lunch. Although I was too late to see her first run, managed to pick up the fact that Maëlle Ricker must have fallen or hit a bad patch on her run. Bad news, I thought...
The Blenz was pretty quiet (although the music was loud enough to drown out the laptop's speakers), so we walked down Davie to Pacific and along the Seawall towards Science World. Again, the walk was characterized by busy crowds, lots in red, heading in both directions. We passed a couple of police officers by the casino and I noticed that one had the uniform and badge of the Sudbury, Ont., police force - so there's obviously more than just buses from across Canada in the city.
Heading through past Quebec House and the Saskatchewan pavilion, the general mood was one of a friendly city welcoming people from all across this wonderful country and abroad. People chatting on the Seawall; quiet lineups at the entrances to the pavilions; friendly "Smurfs" and visible, but laid-back, security. We who live here are truly fortunate to be in one of the most beautiful cities on Earth.
When I got back to my office, I cranked up CTV's video stream and among the wonderful views of Vancouver from Cypress realized that Maëlle Ricker was still in contention. A quick check told me that she's had a second opportunity to qualify, and boy! did she take it.
We watched as she qualified for the semi-final, heart in mouth as her American rival almost took her out, then, delaying our departure for my son's homework appointment, we watched as she totally blew away the field in the final. Amazing! A second home gold and from a local, too! Way to go, Maëlle!
I know a certain President who'll be grinning from ear to ear over this victory!
Des Dougan is Principal of Dougan Consulting Group, which provides technology support services to small businesses in the Metro Vancouver area. Des can be contacted here and via @ddougan on Twitter.
I can't remember the last time I sat in front of the TV for three hours - perhaps watching one of the Lord of the Rings movies - but I did it tonight, and was captivated. Along with my 14-year-old son, Peter, we watched entranced as the amazing, and sometimes breathtaking, Opening Ceremony unfolded. From Greece to Canada, we watched as the athletes and coaches paraded through BC Place (which was transformed from a concrete balloon into an amazing chameleon throughout).
I'm no longer much of a TV watcher and haven't watched an Olympic opening for a long time; that said, tonight's was quite possibly the most amazing piece of theatre it's been my pleasure to watch - ever. From the first moments, watching the snowboarder carve his way down the mountain and into the stadium through the Olympic rings, to Rick Hansen and his cohorts lighting the cauldron, we sat ooh-ing and aah-ing.
The march of the athletes was fun, and turned into a geography lesson for a Grade 9 student who didn't know what the Soviet Union used to be (it's hard to believe it didn't exist any longer when he was born). We cheered when the huge Canadian team finally made their entrance, a proud Canadian and his immigrant dad, just as proud of the country I now call home.
The cultural segment in the middle was a real eye-opener - knowing how cheesy and kitschy these events can sometimes (often?) be, I had low expectations... Wow, were they blown away or what? Quite amazing lights and graphics led us through from the North to the Prairies (underpinned by Joni Mitchell's ageless talent). The punk fiddlers and the punk poet (Shane Koyczan) whose creation was just so Canadian; the peerless Sarah McLachlan and the quite amazing rendition of Hallelujah by kd lang, who has one of the greatest singing voices ever. It's so hard to recall the details, there was so much to see.
The Olympic flag ceremony and the minute's silence for Nodar Kumaritashvili were emotional moments handled with tact and grace. It was great to see Betty Fox alongside Senator Romeo Dallaire and Bobby Orr. I loved Donald Sutherland's voiceovers during the cultural segment.
Finally, the flame arrived and the only hiccough of the evening when one of the crystal pillars failed to rise, causing a short delay and unfortunately preventing Rick Hansen from taking part in lighting the cauldron alongside Catriona Le May Doan, Steve Nash, Senator Nancy Greene Raine and Wayne Gretzky. Overall, though, a quite stunning demonstration of the great talent and skill we have in this country.
And then I got back to my trusty MacBook to find 200 tweets - some of my co-bloggers really do need to get a life!!!
It's clear that my amazement at the quality and sheer energy exhibited by the performers, and the talent who designed the event, is fairly universal from all the tweets I read. Let's hope, Canada, that the rest of the world recognizes what great talent we have here. And that we Canadians, from wherever we have come, open our hearts and offer our hands to the thousands of visitors to our country and our city.
Des Dougan is Principal of Dougan Consulting Group, which provides technology support services to small businesses in the Metro Vancouver area. Des can be contacted here and via @ddougan on Twitter.
This was certainly something special and Goddamn emotional if you want to get right down to it: The Olympic Torch being ran through the Musqueam Reserve.
The Musqueams are one of four First Nations hosts for the Games, and what a special group of people. We've never really experienced seeing such a sense of community before, and likely never will again.
Here are some photos from the rainy evening with a brief description of what's going on in each picture.
This flag is the flag of the Musqueam Reserve. It's gorgeous and the teal colour is rad (also their official colour!)
This is Larissa and her sign says something along the lines of "My Mother's a Star!". She's beautiful, eh?
These young fellas were taking in the special evening and waving the Musqueam flag with pride!
The best part about this whole experience was probably the fact that it truly was a family-orientated evening. How adorable is this beautiful young girl eh!
Yep, the police were everywhere. That goes without saying these days in Vancouver!
The look in this mans face as he gazed at the torch was pretty cool. Definitely a proud man, and even prouder perhaps of the contributions of the Musqueams!
The torch stayed lit even though it was raining! This women struck the most emotions with people it seemed as people went ballistic with applause when she started her run!
This was quite an adorable look on the ladies face. This was just before it was her turn with the torch, and you could see the excitement in her face!
This is a band member of the Musqueams giving a riveting speech about the contributions made by aboriginals to the Games. He spoke in his native tongue as well as in English!
The looks now turned to the man with the torch, as he looked at the women as though to say, "This is what we've been waiting for! Are you ready!"
And, the flame has been exchanged. Pretty special moment. And in case you didn't recognize him, the man in the red Hockey Jersey is Vancouver's Mayor, Gregor Robertson.
This is the same lady at the end of her run as she passed the flame along to her relative. They were both very emotional about this, and it was pretty darn special.
This man was all smiles about the whole affair, as were most. His toque and jacket were very, very stylish we might add!
This really says it all, eh? The Musqueam band really showed how intense and tight a community the are with the crowds and enthusiasm that surrounded the Torch relay. It was incredible to witness the emotions of all who gathered, and to think that the Olympics are only just starting! What an exciting month to come!
I witnessed a historic occasion today, which I'll likely never see again: the Olympic torch itself, being escorted and carried practically in my backyard.
There was something emotional about seeing a flame that has not faded since its birth in Olympia, Greece, on October 22, 2009. The same flame that, tomorrow, will be watched by eager eyes across the world, as it reaches the cauldron.
I couldn't help reminiscing about the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, which I watched as a kid in Brazil. I recall crying when crowds on the stands formed an image of Misha (the 1980 Games mascot) shedding a tear during the closing ceremonies, as though it was wishing farewell. It represented the end of the Games.
Now, 30 years later, I got to see the Olympic flame, in person.
This experience also brought home a sense of the blood, sweat and tears invested by athletes for whom the Olympic Games are a lifetime goal. I have an Olympic hopeful in my extended circle, and have been privy to the sacrifices that he makes to even stand a chance to qualify for the competition. The strict diet, the gruelling exercise routine, the training, the toll that it takes in his social life. All for a mere chance.
I can only imagine how Olympians will feel during the opening ceremonies tomorrow. As for me, the flame has already accomplished something unexpected - it moved this slightly jaded heart.
Guacira Naves is the founder of The Online Strategy House. She's an online marketing pioneer with 19 years of professional history with the Internet and 13 years of experience as an online marketing strategist. She serves on the board of the Social Media Club Vancouver. Follow her on Twitter (@OnlineStrategy) or find her at OnlineStrategy.ca
I took my 14-year-old son to Lonsdale Quay this morning for the Olympic Torch Relay. We breakfasted at a well-known coffee shop chain on Esplanade with a couple of networking colleagues, then we headed down to the Quay. Even at just around 8.00, the place was busy with musicians doing their sound-check, volunteers handing out Canadian flags (predictably, my son wanted one of the Coca-Cola sponsored ones, probably because they were glossier that a simple paper Maple Leaf) and a big group of kids from two of the nearby elementary schools. The kids had created great long banners and were proudly showing them off, along with their equally proud teachers.
By 8.30 the place was solid, with people up on the ICBC plaza, others on the external stairways and hundreds of others jammed into the space leading from the Seabus terminal and bus loop to the plaza. There was even one gentleman (who shall remain anonymous, as I know him well) on the roof of the office building adjoining the Seabus.
Just as my Grade 9 son was starting to get bored, we began to get some action, with a couple of morning DJs (are they still called that?) from Virgin Radio acting as MCs. There were the predictable speeches from the Mayor, MP and MLA and some very good drumming from the Stony Creek First Nation Drummers prior to the relay itself.
Scheduled for 8.42 a.m., the runner appeared almost to the second. Victor Kraatz, a former Olympian who figure-skated in three Olympic Games with Shae-Lynn Bourne, brought the torch into the central plaza to loud cheers.
Victor Kraatz carrying the torch in North Vancouver
Following a brief stop, the flame was handed over to another runner (unfortunately, I was unable to find his name on the Torch Relay information sites) who headed back out and up to Esplanade for the next stage of North Vancouver's big day of Olympic excitement.
Thankfully the rain held off while we were at the Quay; unfortunately we had to leave as soon as the torch did so that I could get my son to school. Overall, though it was a most enjoyable event.
Des Dougan is Principal of Dougan Consulting Group, which provides technology support services to small businesses in the Metro Vancouver area. Des can be contacted here and via @ddougan on Twitter.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of North Vancouverites gathered at Lonsdale Quay early this morning to welcome the Olympic flame to the North Shore. Along with City Mayor Darrell Mussatto, MP Andrew Saxton and MLA Naomi Yamamoto, citizens from all over the North Shore met at the Plaza at the Quay to see the torch relay.
Crowds began gathering well before 8.00 a.m. and the plaza was packed by the time the torch arrived to cheers. Precisely timed to arrive at 8.42, the torch was handed over from one runner to another before it headed back out on its all-day visit to North Vancouver.
Des Dougan is Principal of Dougan Consulting Group, which provides technology support services to small businesses in the Metro Vancouver area. Des can be contacted here and via @ddougan on Twitter.
February 9, 2010 | Posted by Judy Bishop - The Travelling Eye
2010 Olympic downhill skiing events to be held at Whistler Creekside, on left run in this photo, the Dave Murray downhill. Creekside is closed to the public until March.
by “Judy Bishop – The Travelling Eye”
Vancouver and Whistler are 90 minutes apart by car, and twins in hosting the 2010 Games. Being a keen Whistler skier, I took the opportunity to capture Whistler Village scenes just before the 2010 Games start.... and tear up the mountain a little before returning to Vancouver.
Whistler Village teemed with people milling about, workers feverishly prepping, foreign-speakers shooting photos of things unremarkable to locals. And yet .... you got a sense that locals have deserted Whistler... that they've faced the Olympics event horizon and have surrendered their beloved mountain town to the all-consuming whirlwind of the Games and the steely hand of VANOC. There were eerily few recreational skiers; most skiers flew downhill without poles and at Mach One speeds without a wavering - suggesting former/current racer training. The Sea-to-Sky highway was so quiet in the afternoon drive back I kept wondering if I'd somehow entered a closed road.
(almost) everything a Whistlerite really needs
Unlike Cypress Mountain, Whistler has boatloads of snow on its enormous terrain. Those willing to brave travel and parking hassles will keep enjoying superb skiing/riding during the Games, with little competition for the fabulous snow that's forecast in the coming days. And, given the all-out Whistler party atmosphere that kicks up in a nanosecond, its unlikely that the action will be limited to the mountain....
Judy is also managing partner of Bishop + Company, a 20-year old management consultancy providing corporate & market strategy for technology and growth companies. Contact info & story summary available. Follow on Twitter @travellingeye. email: judy@judybishop.ca
Locals and visitors hanging in Whistler Village
No parking means getting creative about hauling ski gear around
Garibaldi Lift Company = the epicentre of Whistler socializing during the Games
I was asked a few months ago by someone whether our office was shutting down for the Olympics. I was surprised by the question. In our business, we track every minute of phone calls and emails that come into our contact centre. We serve customers across Canada and globally. We couldn’t shut down for a day!
I started to wonder about businesses that could close down for a day, or for the entire Olympics for that matter, and what kind of business impact it might have. I started to think about why anyone would want to do that when we have hundreds of thousands of new people in the city to expose our businesses to? In upcoming posts I will discuss how local businesses are taking advantage of the Olympics. In the meantime, what the question did was get me thinking about how to maintain 100% productivity.
There was a lot of talk about road closures, the inability for people to get to work or for deliveries to be completed. So I asked our office administrator Meryll to help us put a plan together to ensure that we have no down time and full productivity at Webnames.ca. She has graciously shared some of what she has found out below in hopes that it will help other businesses.
Getting To and From Work & Meetings
1. It's helpful to determine which transportation routes each employee takes to work ahead of time. There are road closures all over Vancouver and understanding where employees are located will make your research more targeted and effective.
2. Once you have determined everyone’s mode of transportation (eg. bus, seabus, skytrain, etc.), call TransLink and ask if the busses used by your employees are going to be re-routed. This information will help your staff plan alternate routes.
We asked about key dates and what procedures they (Translink) are taking during the Olympics to ensure that all passengers get to their destination in a timely manner. We found out that bus detours will be in effect between Feb. 1-28. Extra busses to accommodate more passengers will be available Feb. 12-28 and there will be night busses on all major bus routes till 3:00 AM. Seabus will be departing every 15 minutes during 6 – 10 AM and every 10 minutes during 10 AM to 12:30 AM. Skytrain will arrive every 108 seconds and the West Coast Express will add 8 more trains a day.
3. All Olympic venue areas will have high traffic during scheduled events, so identify where all the venues are and avoid them during event times. Refer to the Olympic Venue Map as well as the Games Schedule to help plan.
4. Finding out where all road closures and Olympic lanes are can help avoid delays. Olympic lanes will have one lane of traffic transporting Olympic accredited vehicles only (media, athletes, etc.). Keep pedestrian only areas in mind and identify which places have parking and stopping restrictions as well. It is highly recommended that you don’t drive, especially in and around downtown. Make an effort to start work early and leave your home an hour before you typically would.
For some staff it will not be easy to get into the office. At the very least, adjust work schedules as necessary. Prepare a contingency plan for each employee in the event they cannot get into work.
If you can, secure VPN connections for staff to work from home and ensure remote access to any important data and systems. Remember that staff will be using their home computers so make sure they have access to updated contact details like phone numbers and emails for co-workers, clients and suppliers.
Schedule conference calls or use web conferencing technology to meet rather than fight the traffic when you can. If staff are using their own phones, be prepared to reimburse for long-distance expenses, or make sure they have a Skype account set up and how to use it.
Deliveries to your Office
Contact all your suppliers and make sure that deliveries will proceed as scheduled. Ask about what steps they are taking to ensure all goods are delivered to your office in a timely manner. It will probably be best if supplies are ordered ahead of time. Keep in mind, if you have stopping or parking restriction around your area, it can be difficult to make deliveries around those zones. Here is more information relating to deliveries from the City of Vancouver.
March 2, 2010 | Posted by Marc Smith 
Categories: Marc Smith, Uncategorized | 
Tags: 2010 Olympics, Brian Williams, LA Times, Marc Smith, Metro-Blenz News Squad, NBC, Olympic Games, paralympics, Vancouver 2010 | 
1 Comment »
